Book Club: "Schools Cannot Do It Alone"

The Genesee Joint School District Board of Education and Administration has begun reading “Schools Cannot Do IT Alone”, by author Jamie Vollmer. The story is one of a businessman’s journeys working with the public education system and his transformation from harsh critic to advocate of America’s public schools.

Mr. Vollmers experiences in public education over the last twenty years have led him to two important discoveries. First, public education has a system problem not a people problem. That in order to obtain the graduates we need, we must be willing to change the system of how we deliver instruction. Secondly, we cannot change the system without touching the culture of the community; everything that goes on inside a school is tied to local attitudes, values, traditions and beliefs of the community in which it resides.

In "Schools Cannot Do It Alone", Mr. Vollmer presents a practical plan to increase student success. Vollmer’s community-based program, called “The Great Conversation” provides instructions and suggestions to tackle the major obstacles to school improvement. "Schools Cannot Do It Alone" also includes an expanded version of the famous “Blueberry Story,” and the latest update of “Vollmer’s List.” This exhaustive review of the responsibilities heaped upon the nation’s public schools over the last hundred years proves that our schools are no longer being told to” just teach” America’s children.

If you would be interested in reading a copy of the book or joining us in a discussion about the book, please contact Mrs. Moore, Superintendent at 208-285-1161.

Book Information:

Vollmer, Jamie (2010). Schools Cannot Do It Alone. Enlightenment Press.

Website Information:

www.jamievollmer.com

Genesee Joint Schools implements School Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Support Program

Genesee Joint School District is implementing the School Wide Positive Behavior Intervention Support (SWPBIS) program during the 2011/12 school year.

Genesee Joint School District SWPBIS Team will be meeting on a monthly basis during the current school year to explore ways in which the staff can be proactive in meeting students’ individualized academic, behavioral and socio-emotional needs. The members of the team are as follows: Mrs. Wommack, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Bardwell, Mrs. Sperber, Mrs. Tilleman, Mr. Scripter, Mr. Morrow, Mrs. Scharnhorst, Mr. Bartosz, Mr. Caldwell and Mrs. Moore.

What is School-Wide PBIS?

SWPBIS is a process for creating safer and more effective schools. It is a systems approach to enhancing the capacity of schools to educate all children by developing research-based, school-wide, and classroom behavior support systems. SWPBIS is not a program or a curriculum, but a process that focuses on improving a school’s ability to teach and support positive behavior for all students.

What Does School-Wide PBIS Emphasize?

In general, SWPBIS emphasizes four integrated elements: (a) data for decision making, (b) measurable outcomes supported and evaluated by data, (c) practices with evidence that these outcomes are achievable, and (d) systems that efficiently and effective support implementation of these practices.

What Outcomes are Associated with Implementation of PBIS?

Schools that establish systems with the capacity to implement SWPBS with integrity and durability have teaching and learning environments that are
• Less reactive, aversive, dangerous, and exclusionary, and more engaging, responsive, preventive, and productive.

• Address classroom management and disciplinary issues.

• Improve supports for students whose behaviors require more specialized assistance (e.g., emotional and behavioral disorders, mental health), and most importantly, maximize academic engagement and achievement for all students which leads to increased instructional time.

• SWPBIS includes school-wide procedures and processes intended for all students and all staff in all settings.

• Team based process for systemic problem solving, planning and evaluation.It is an approach to create a safe and productive learning environment where teachers can teach and all students can learn.

Additional information about this program is available at: http://www.pbis.org/

Genesee Joint School District makes AYP for 2010/2011

Genesee Joint School District makes AYP for 2010/2011.

Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) is required by No Child Left Behind(NCLB) as a measure of all schools, school districts, and the state in meeting federal benchmarks. Idaho uses the results from the Idaho Standards Achievement Test (ISAT) to calculate AYP. Each year, districts are required to reach state-approved goals in the areas of reading, math and a third indicator (graduation rate). They must also meet goals for the number of students participating on the ISAT. Results of assessments are used to determine whether a school is making Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP).

The goal of NCLB/AYP is to ensure that all students in all schools are academically proficient in math, reading and language arts by 2014. Genesee School District met and exceeded the State goals for 2010/2011.

2010/ 2011 Adequate Yearly Progress Report
Genesee Joint School District #282
Was AYP Met?		School Improvement Status	Reading Goal		Math Goal	Graduation Rate
Yes		Met AYP	Met AYP		Met AYP	Met AYP
Grades Tested 3-10	ISAT Reading		ISAT Math			Graduation Rate
	% Tested	% Proficient	% Tested	% Proficient
State Benchmark	Goal 95%	Goal 85.6%	Goal 95%	Goal 83.0%		Goal 90%
All Students	100%	97.8%	100%	97.8%		100%
African American	*	*	*	*		*
Asian	*	*	*	*		*
American Indian	*	*	*	*		*
Hispanic	*	*	*	*		*
Native Hawaiian/ Pacific Islander	*	*	*	*		*
White	100%	97.6%	100%	98.3%		*
Limited English Proficient	*	*	*	*		*
Economically Disadvantaged	100%	96.1%	100%	94.7%		*
Students with Disabilities	100%	*	100%	*		*

*For reporting purposes (participation), Idaho does not report student data for less than 10 students. For accountability purposes (proficiency), Idaho does not report student data for less than 34 students.

Congratulations to all of the students who participated in the testing and to the entire Genesee Staff for building a strong educational foundation for our students.

Genesee School gets energy boost from ARRA grant. Written By Holly Bowen - Moscow Daily News. Printed July 2, 2011

The solar panels are up, the switches have been turned on and now Genesee School is generating its own electricity thanks to a grant from the Idaho Office of Energy Resources.
Genesee Joint School District officials learned in January their school was one of only nine across the state to receive part of the $2.75 million worth of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds set aside by the state energy office for the installation of solar panels at public K-12 schools.
Genesee School received almost $260,000 of that funding, Superintendent Wendy Moore said.
Crews from the Spokane-based Power City Electric began installation of the school's solar panels in May and finished work this Thursday.
Rows of black photovoltaic modules - 192 in total - now cover the white roof of the school's gymnasium and face south to absorb as much sunlight as possible.
"It's pretty impressive," Moore said Thursday while looking at the rooftop arrays.
Jeff Middleton, project manager with Power City Electric, said the 50 kilowatt (kW) photovoltaic system will supplement the school's energy supply, meaning the school district will now pay less on its monthly power bill.
The amount of energy generated by the system varies depending on temperature and the amount of sunlight, he said, making it difficult to estimate just how much the school will end up saving.
He said the modules absorb sunlight and generate electricity even when it's cloudy, but the best conditions occur on cold, clear days.
The solar panels require relatively little maintenance - Middleton said an engineer determined the modules can handle the winter snow load, and it's normal to clean the arrays a couple times a year.
"It's just like looking through the windshield of a car," he said about the glass covering the solar cells.
The direct current (DC) power generated by the modules travels by wire inside conduit to an inverter box that transforms it into alternating current (AC) electricity to be used by the school.
"It's like hooking a bunch of batteries together," Middleton said.
He said people originally tried to store solar power in batteries, but it's much more cost-effective to convert and use the energy right away.
"In general, you get whatever you can get, invert it to AC and then use it while you have it," he said. "Somebody'll use it somewhere. If you don't use it, it will go back on the grid."
He said the photovoltaic modules are under a 25-year warranty, while the inverter box is warrantied for 20 years.
Moore said the solar array has already and will continue to serve as a learning opportunity for Genesee students.
She said science teacher Jen Pollard wrote the grant with help from maintenance supervisor Todd Dahmen. Pollard also involved her students in the planning process.
"The physics class worked on it last year," Moore said.
The students made measurements and calculated the number of watts the school could potentially produce.
She said meters on the photovoltaic system are connected to the school's computer network, so students and teachers will be able to monitor the amount of power their school is generating.
Middleton said because the project was funded by federal stimulus dollars, the vast majority of the components used had to be manufactured in the United States. He said many of the parts for Genesee School's solar array were made in Oregon.
He said photovoltaic systems are becoming an increasingly cheaper alternative energy option because mass production is driving down the price of components.

Rogers Toyota-Scion Rewards Perfect Attendance

Genesee Joint Schools continues to show academic excellence on a regular basis and a key factor to academic success is attendance. This past school year the district recognized 14 students in the district for having perfect attendance. Although we are proud of all the students who achieved this honor, two sixth grade students, Isaac Valles (shown left) and Makenna Bruck were recognized by Rogers Toyota-Scion as part of the P.A.S.S. ( Perfect Attendance School Success) program.

The P.A.S.S. program recognizes 6th grade students who have achieved perfect attendance during the school year. Each 6th grade student who has perfect attendance is then invited to a BBQ at the dealership and is presented with a new bicycle and a helmet. This past month 78 students from the area qualified for free bicycles.

We look forward to participating in the P.A.S.S. program in the 2011/12 year and thank Rogers Toyota-Scion for providing this program to our students.

Elementary Awards Assembly - June 3

The 2010/11 school year is quickly winding down and I would like to also extend an invitation to parents and community members to join us on June 3rd at 8:30 in the gymnasium for our End of Year Assembly. We will be recognizing our students K-6 for outstanding attendance and academic achievement this past year. We will also be recognizing other individuals who have made contributions of time and effort to our classrooms throughout the year. Please consider joining us for this recognition ceremony.


I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the community, staff and students for making my first year at Genesee such an enjoyable one. It has been a sincere pleasure to serve you and your children this past year and I look forward to being here in the coming years. I hope you have a wonderful summer and if there is anything I can be of assistance with, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Sincerely,
Mrs. Wendy Moore
Superintendent/ Elementary Principal

Thank you for your support!

Dear Genesee Joint School District residents,

I would personally like to Thank each of you who voted in support of our Supplemental Maintenance and Operation Levy that was held on Tuesday, March 8, 2011. The unofficial tally at the end of the night was 242 yes/ 115 no.

Your support ensures that we can continue to offer the highest level of quality education that ALL of our students deserve.

On behalf of the Board of Education, Administration, Staff and students of Genesee Joint school district, "Thank you for your support".